Faster Than Your Couch!
With ES100 approaching on the horizon, I was wondering if you can help me with some questions concerning weather.
- Any special tricks for persevering through a whole day (and part of the night) with high heat and humidity in a heavily forested, hilly area?
(except for hydrating well and slowing down)
- How do you chose your clothes for a hot day and a night (may be very warm or not warm) with heavy thunderstorms and rain? Rain jacket necessary, or just tough it out?
How do you split your clothes up between your drop bags when crew and drop bag access are 20-30 miles apart?
- Which hat works best in heavy rain? Especially when I want my glasses shielded somewhat and hate water running down my neck and back?
- How do you deal with thunderstorms and very heavy rain, especially in the night? Just keep going regardless, or stop and wait it out? I will be in a wooded area, most of the time in a valley or on a mountainside, not so much in ridges.
Any tips for staying in a positive mood in these conditions? Do you ever get scared in a race when it storms?
- Are snakes and bears out in storms, or do they hide?
(when bad comes to worse)
Run for fun.
Tim
(except for hydrating well and slowing down). Ice - use it in your hydration bladder, handheld, under your hat, in a bandanna, etc.
- How do you chose your clothes for a hot day and a night (may be very warm or not warm) with heavy thunderstorms and rain? Rain jacket necessary, or just tough it out? Quick drying clothes. I have a very light weight (GoLite) rain jacket that pacjks up easily. Weighs something like 3 oz. I wold have that with me just in case you get cold, especially at night.
-How do you split your clothes up between your drop bags when crew and drop bag access are 20-30 miles apart? Have duplicates, ofr carry with you what you think you might need.
- Which hat works best in heavy rain? Especially when I want my glasses shielded somewhat and hate water running down my neck and back? I wear contacts, so can't really help, but there are hats with drapes on the back to protect against sun and/or rain.
- How do you deal with thunderstorms and very heavy rain, especially in the night? Just keep going regardless, or stop and wait it out? I will be in a wooded area, most of the time in a valley or on a mountainside, not so much in ridges. I tend to go, unless they stop or hold the race, If you are at an AS and they know how fast the storm is moving then you can decide to wait it out or go. You pacer could check radar on their phone if service is good.
- Any tips for staying in a positive mood in these conditions? Do you ever get scared in a race when it storms? I kind of like running in the rain, so it doesn't get me down. If you are worried about it, do a training run during a rain storm and try things out. The big thing is taking care of your feet when they are wet for hours.
- Are snakes and bears out in storms, or do they hide? Only idiots are out in the storm, and we all know ultra runners are idiots.
“Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway!
... - How do you chose your clothes for a hot day and a night (may be very warm or not warm) with heavy thunderstorms and rain? Rain jacket necessary, or just tough it out? How do you split your clothes up between your drop bags when crew and drop bag access are 20-30 miles apart? - Which hat works best in heavy rain? Especially when I want my glasses shielded somewhat and hate water running down my neck and back? - How do you deal with thunderstorms and very heavy rain, especially in the night? Just keep going regardless, or stop and wait it out? I will be in a wooded area, most of the time in a valley or on a mountainside, not so much in ridges. Any tips for staying in a positive mood in these conditions? Do you ever get scared in a race when it storms? - Are snakes and bears out in storms, or do they hide? (when bad comes to worse)
I just take everything with me since we usually have 38 mi between trailheads and no crew / dropbags. The people that did the 100mi will generally have a change of clothes at the turnaround point. And maybe some warmer gear if they didn't start with it.
I use a technical ball cap and the hood from my shell. I use a Houdini shell (3oz) and Marmot precip (10+ oz) since Houdini works fine in light rain but is inadequate in multi-hour rains and winds above treeline. That's when Precip comes in. I just got a Marmot Crystalline (6oz) that may be able to used in place of the two shells, but not tested heavily yet.
The people in our 100mi generally just keep moving because to stop means to become hypothermic. They will stop at the turnaround to get warm and put on dry clothes. I know the one year, even the front runners almost didn't go back out into the rain and the bears, but they did. Others chose to wrap it up at 50mi. Some of the 100mi racers hang together through the first 50 mi which is where you're going through the dark in bear country.
Jeez, AK...a win for the race you speak of is simply survival!
January , 2022 Yankee Springs Winter Challenge 25k
I think the race started amongst friends, and got more formal over the years. It's simple - run the Resurrection Pass trail over the pass. There's a couple other trails, but none that provide better access, so you do 38 mi between trailheads. You make sure you're trained reasonably well since there's no sag wagon - unless a friendly mtn biker comes along and can help get your broken body to the trailhead (happened to one person one year).
I really find it easier to run and race that way, since you've either got it or you don't. I've since done a few races with aid stations, and they tend to be confusing for me.
My first 100 at Massanutten had high heat and humidity and then several bouts of drenching thunderstorms.
I don't know that I have any great advice. For the heat I run shirtless. It helps some I suppose. Beats wearing a drench shirted. In your case not an option I suppose but wear your lightest clothes (fabric and color).
Two or three drop bags tend to be my max and even if I have crew I still use the drop bag service because you never know what issues your crew will run into. Estimate where you will be at night and plan accordingly. If you run with a pack you can just carry a rain shell in your pack. I do not so just put some type of rain gear in each drop bag if storms are in the forecast. Of course it never rains until I ran past my drop bags! In fact even funnier each time I put on a dry shirt during that race it poured less than an hour later.
It was a warm day though so the rain never chilled me. It actually felt good. The thunder and lightening were a bit unnerving a couple of times when the bolts/thunder were close. MMT is under tree cover so at least I had the illusion of safety.
Like you I run with glasses. I've tried caps, hats, but even if they keep off the rain they tend to cause fogging due to temperature contrasts. I just bite the bullet and take my glasses off during heavy rain. Unless the storm is really dangerous and you can find safe cover I would just keep moving. You will stay warmer that way.
In dog beers, I've only had one.